The Thrill Killers

Ray Dennis Steckler was one of the more spirited low-budget schlock auters working during the 1960s, and "The Thrill Killers" bears his trademark style: dissonant camera work during the action scenes, authentic locations, and generally ridiculous plot developments (wouldn't you be a bit alarmed if some twitchy guy brought a bloody ax into your restaurant?). By today's standards, the decapitations and stabbings are in the campy vein of Herschell Gordon Lewis (and the 'hynosis' gimmick is pure William Castle), and the hipster slang is dated and laughable. Steckler, who plays the lead psycho, has some genuinely creepy moments, and Carolyn Brandt (Steckler's girlfriend) is fun to watch as an early victim. Even though "The Thrill Killers" is slow-moving and erratically paced, it's worth a look for those who enjoy low-budget cinema.

5/10

Fun cheapie in black and white, fairly well photographed. You're lucky if (like me and others out here in Oakland CA) you got to see it in a theater with Steckler himself and his cronies (including the weary Will Viharo) running through the crowd with axes on cue with the "hypnovision" process on the screen. Weird murder movie plot similar to the later "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (which owes this movie a lot) has a family of maniacs and their friends on a killing spree in a desert ranch area (looks like somewhere up Coldwater Canyon). The finale has director Steckler on horse evading a cop on a motorbike who can't seem to catch up! Priceless.

Welcome to the world of Ray Dennis Steckler. Low budget shlock about three psychopaths and one of them's serial killer brother on the rampage in black-and-white 1960's Los Angeles.

This is most definitely Steckler's least incompetent film. Black and white cinematography is fantastic. Steckler applies creative film-making principles to a crazy low budget to make great entertainment, but also competent movie making. I really enjoyed the production music that he chose to use.

Steckler was also hanging around with Arch Hall Jr./Sr. (he appeared in and directed Wild Guitar) during these years. Hall Sr. even appears here in an unbilled cameo as himself: a drunken lout.

So I can't help but compare this film to the similar Arch Hall film "The Sadist." Similar plot device of maniacs keeping normal people at bay in a deserted shack out in the sticks, though that scenario takes up only a few scenes in this film, and takes up 95% of "The Sadist." This film is not quite as good as "The Sadist" but fans of that work should enjoy this trip as well.

Anyway, fans of Steckler's peculiar universe of film making should dig on this, though as others have stated this is most certainly his darkest film. Several genuinely scary scenes (in the DVD commentary track, Steckler brags about shooting these scenes in the daytime and still being able to scare the audience) and several exciting chase scenes for about the last 20 minutes of the movie, much better done than is usual for films of this budget level.

An enjoyable psychopathic killer film with a bit of late-period film noir atmosphere that comes off well. Just a bit of "Blast of Silence" maybe. Filmed in 1964, released in 1965. Available on DVD.

As a fan of Ray Steckler,I suppose I am being a little biased,as so many others seem to hate this movie,but I don't care.I think it's Ray's best movie,and stands well above other indie pictures I've seen.There are many scenes in here that are quite good(just the Hollywood party scene with a sleepy-looking Arch Hall Sr. is worth the price of a rental)and Steckler handles his action scenes well,also.The scene where Steckler(as Mad Dog)slaps around Erina Enyo looked downright brutal to me.BY all means,watch this movie if you get the chance!!

I dug this film so much when I first saw it because it epitomizes what makes low budget exploitation good camp entertainment. It seems to be made made solely to exploit itself and does it's damndest to deliver. I like the b & w cinematography and the various cinematic devices used albeit some quite cliche. The camp and subversive elements are given to us hand in hand when serial killer Mort Click tells one of his female victims "People are no good" "I hate People!" "I'm going to kill you". Super cheesy chase at the end is the capper and, because it's slightly anti-climactic, only makes the exploitation motives more obvious therefore giving "The Thrill Killers" very high camp value. I still think it's an admirable and entertaining effort by a spirited and eccentric auteur.